FinancialNews Volume 8 • Issue 4 • August 2011 Mr. Ohlendorf Goes To Washington President/CEO Testifies on Behalf of ICBA, Community Banks Greg Ohlendorf, president and CEO of First Community Bank and Trust in Beecher, Ill., testified before the House Small Business Committee on behalf of the Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA). During his testimony, Ohlendorf discussed the regulatory burdens small business lenders face and voiced avid support for the ICBA-backed Communities First Act or CFA, (H.R. 1697), introduced by Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-Mo.), which would help community banks continue to lend to small businesses and reinvest in their communities. “It’s these localized credit decisions . . . that will help restore America’s economic strength.” “The Communities First Act contains many reforms that would improve the regulatory environment and overall community bank viability, which would be of tremendous benefit to our customers and communities,” Ohlendorf said. Ohlendorf went on to also voice strong support for Rep. Bill Posey’s (R-Fla.) Common Sense Economic Recovery Act (H.R. 1723), which would establish conservative, common-sense criteria for determining when a loan is performing and would provide for more consistent classifications. “This bill would give community bankers flexibility to work with struggling but viable small business borrowers and help them maintain the capital they need to support their communities,” Ohlendorf said. In addressing the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, Ohlendorf said that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) should use its authority to grant broad relief to community banks where appropriate. He also said that ICBA supports legislation recently passed by the House Financial Services Committee to reform the CFPB to make it more balanced and accountable in its governance and rule writing. “Community banks are prodigious small business lenders that have little in common with Wall Street firms, mega-banks or shadow banks that fueled the financial crisis,” Ohlendorf said. “Community banks have a much different risk profile because our business model is built on long-term customer relationships—we cannot succeed without a reputation for fair treatment. We make quality small business loans often passed over by the large banks because our personal knowledge of the borrower gives us firsthand insight into the true credit quality of a loan. It’s these localized credit decisions, made one-by-one by thousands of community bankers that will help restore America’s economic strength.” n Leading with Integrity, Excellence and Innovation Member FDIC • An Equal Housing Lender www.firstcbt.com Board of Directors Harold H. Bruns Chairman of the Board David J. Cecich Vice Chairman of the Board Greg M. Ohlendorf President Jerry W. Baker Secretary / Treasurer John S. Biesterfeld Bruce W. Bockelmann Bradley D. Coats David L. Dralle Bruce A. Hackel Brian T. Hruska To view the video and full transcript of Ohlendorf’s testimony visit our website, firstcbt.com. Look in the Resource Center to view the most recent Press Releases. Give the Mailman a Break Opt for Electronic Delivery of FCBT’s FinancialNews. We are always looking for ways to be a little greener. Help us out by choosing electronic delivery of FinancialNews. Each issue of our bimonthly newsletter will be emailed to you the day it is finalized - you will receive it as much as one week earlier than by standard mail. Sent to your inbox in a .pdf format, you will need Acrobat Reader installed on your computer, which can be downloaded for free from our website. Once you have read the newsletter, simply delete the e-mail. You can always access previous issues of FinancialNews from the newsletter archive on our website, firstcbt.com. FinancialNews To sign up for electronic delivery of FinancialNews simply send an e-mail with the subject line “newsletter” to cbowden@ firstcbt.com with your request. Be sure to include your name in the e-mail. If you would like the newsletter sent to an additional e-mail address, include that as well. We hope you will join us in our efforts to keep the world a little greener. n First Community Gold Club News / Travel Club News Our Gold Club is for those customers who are 55 years of age or better and have at least $1,000 in any combination of accounts with our bank. Members receive increased rates on CDs, free check offers, two free dinners per year, and much more. Our Travel Club is open to all ages and can be enjoyed by customers and non-customers alike. If you are interested in signing up for our Gold Club or for one or more of our trips, contact Irene Brothers today at 708.946.2246. Saturday, August 13 • 4-11 pm • Firemen’s Park, Beecher Food • 4-7 PM / Beverages • 4-11 PM Bring an appetite for our ultimate summer barbecue! The Johnsonville Brat Wagon will be grilling their famous bratwurst along with hot dogs and burgers! Other food and beverage selections include chips, nachos, ice cream, beer, pop and water! This a great way to spend quality family time at a very reasonable price! Fun & Games • 4-8 PM Keep entertained with all sorts of fun FREE activities! Inflatable jump house • 18-Foot GIANT slide! • Gold Fish game • Tattoo parlor • Bean Bags • Bingo for prizes! Live Music • 5-8 PM Summer fun isn’t complete without some relaxing tunes! Grab your chairs and some food and drink and enjoy the afternoon listening to the acoustic performance of local talent, Chris James. His smooth style and sound will be a perfect fit for a relaxing afternoon at the park! Movie Under The Stars • 8:00 PM Marty McFly’s having the time of his life. The only question is -- what time is it? Spread out your blanket or unfold your chairs and enjoy a trip back in time with the classic comedic sci-fi adventure, Back To The Future. Take a picture with an actual DeLorean “Time Machine” like the one used in the movie (minus the Flux Capacitor and the jets, of course.) Be sure to bring your camera! (In case of inclement weather, the movie will be shown inside the Beecher Community Hall) Party In the Park benefits the Beecher Beautification Commission For complete details, visit www.firstcbt.com and download the Party in the Park flyer. Document Disposal Day Four Winds Casino New Buffalo, Michigan Thursday, September 29, 2011 Departs from our Peotone facility at 9:00 a.m., and from our Beecher location at 9:30 am and returns at 4:00 and 4:30 pm. The cost is $28 and includes transportation, refreshments on the bus, a $10 food voucher and a $15 instant slot credit. Join in the fun! Payment must be made by September 10th. Call Irene at 946-2246 to reserve your spot. Bring your unneeded confidential documents to our PEOTONE LOCATION, 650 Wilmington Road, and have them shredded on-site for free. * No need to remove paperclips or staples * Information is protected and concealed * Bring documents in a large garbage bag SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 10th 9:00-11:00 am FinancialNews First Community Investment Center News PrimeVest Financial Services, Inc. is an independent, registered broker-dealer and registered investment adviser. Member SIPC/FINRA. Securities and insurance products offered by PrimeVest: • Not FDIC/NCUSIF insured • Not financial institution guaranteed • Not a deposit • Not insured by any federal government agency ≠ • May lose Value. PrimeVest is located at First Community Bank and Trust. First Community Investment Center is your place for sound investment advice. We have a full line of investment products that may fit your financial needs: • Retirement Plans - Individual and Corporate, including rollovers and transfers, plus company 401(k) services • Long-Term Care Insurance • Tax-deferred Annuities • Mutual Funds • College Funding, and much more! Contact one of our Registered Representatives at (708) 946-2246. Financial Calculators Available Online Our new web site, www.firstcbt.com, offers powerful tools to help navigate the numbers Sorting through the numbers, whether for retirement planning, financing a major purchase, or determining if a lease is right for you, can be a daunting task. Our online calculators quickly and easily help you see the bigger picture. For home financing, there are calculators to help determine if refinancing is a good option, how much a fixed rate mortgage payment might be, whether to rent or buy, how much home you can afford and more. Personal financing calculators provide information about car loans, paying off credit cards, saving for college, loan payoff periods, and debt elimination. Investors might be interested in the calculators that show the yield on their portfolio, how to save a million dollars or future worth of investments. Retirement options include compari- sons between Roth and traditional IRAs, their worth at retirement, and adequate funding for and spending in retirement. There are also calculators that address leasing issues and show how much lease payments might be, what the rate could be and what the residual would be. Provided by TimeValue Software, these calculators are free to use and let you input the figures specific to your situation. They make it easy to compare different loan products or see how small changes in percentage rates can have big effects on monthly payments. To use the calculators, go to firstcbt. com and click on the Resource Center tab. There you will find the link that will take you to the complete list of calculators available. No personal information will be collected or retained in order to use these financial planning tools. Take a tour of our financial calculators and see what they can do for you. n ************************* The information provided by these calculators is for illustrative purposes only. The default figures shown are hypothetical and may not be applicable to your individual situation. Be sure to consult a financial professional prior to relying on the results. The calculated results are intended for illustrative purposes only and accuracy is not guaranteed. IRA / 401(k) Money Welcome Here IRA and 401(k) retirement accounts are safe, reliable tools to help you prepare for those golden years. We can help you roll over or transfer money from an existing plan or get you started in a new one. It’s never too late, or too early, to plan for your future. Contact Clint Squier in our Investment Center and get on the right track to a stronger financial future. Congratulations Jim Bultema for Winning June Raffle Congratulations to Jim Bultema of Beecher. His entry was selected in our drawing for the Automotive Care Kit, including the $75 gas card. His name was chosen from over 600 entries. Items included with the gas card were a car wash mitt, bucket, tire and wheel cleaner, protectant, car wash solution, glass cleaner, interior wipes and a travel coffee mug. Thank you to everyone who participated in our raffles this year. Watch for more of our Customer Appreciation events. Next up: Party In The Park! (See page two for details.) n FinancialNews Many services offered: • 401(k) Plans: Individual and Corporate • Long-Term Care • Tax-Deferred Annuities • Mutual Funds • College Funding Contact our Registered Representative Clint Squier today at 708.946.2246 FinancialNews Volume 8 • Issue 4 • August 2011 FinancialNews US Postage Paid PRSRT STD Beecher, IL Permit #109 August 2011 In This Issue: Page 1 Ohlendorf Testifies for Community Banks Page 2 PO Box 457 • Beecher, IL 60401-0457 TO: Everyone’s Invited to our Party In The Park on August 13 Page 3 Online Calculators at firstcbt.com FCB&T Eco Challenge #20 Driving Habits Affect Gas Consumption With gas prices still hovering near $4 per gallon, it makes sense employ driving methods that conserve gas. The biggest gas-eating habits are speeding and quick starts. Accelerating requires the most fuel and a leadfooted driver that puts that pedal to the metal may save a few seconds of time, but will spend more in gas money. According to Stephanie Dembowski, public affairs coordinator for Arizona AAA Automotive, “It makes a big difference, not to mention it is also a safety hazard. Speeding and rapid acceleration lower gas mileage by 33 percent on the highway and about 5 percent in town.” She added that, based on figures provided by the U.S. Department of Energy, every 5 mph driven above 60 mph can cost an estimated 24 cents a gallon. Other ways to boost your gas mileage include: • Make sure tires are properly inflated. Underinflated tires, which can also be dangerous, can reduce fuel economy as much as 2 percent. • Use cruise control on the highway to maintain a steady speed. • Tighten the gas cap. Gasoline evaporates quickly, and if you don’t seal up that gas tank, it will leak out. The Car Care Council estimates that 147 million gallons of gas a year will be lost to evaporation. • Service your car. Your fuel economy will drop if you have dirty air filters, old oil, old spark plugs, old belts or other low fluid levels. Keep it in tip-top shape and save on your gas and maintenance bills. n FinancialNews Friends and Followers Welcome! “Like” us on Facebook and “Follow” us on Twitter! Find out what we’re up to and share your thoughts. We post financial help information, fun facts, bank updates and much more. Simply go to www.firstcbt.com and click one of the Facebook or Twitter icons to visit one of our new sites. Our recent posts include the history of the piggy bank, 10 things learned from having a purse stolen, photos of previous raffle winners, and a schedule of our upcoming Customer Appreciation events.
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